


Coalesce

by misbehavingvigilante



Series: Sync [2]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Implied/Referenced Brainwashing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-15 10:38:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13611621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misbehavingvigilante/pseuds/misbehavingvigilante
Summary: Once, there had been blood pooling at her feet. A price paid for the grueling regime that was required for the delicate looking art of ballet.Now, there was blood on her hands. A price others decided she should pay for the sole offense of marrying a man she loved.





	Coalesce

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back with this again? I finally made it into a series since it's interconnected no zaryawidow this time since this is more a prelude of sorts but regardless I had fun writing it. 
> 
> I couldn't fit in Akande despite that sorta going with the timeline since with how I wrote it way back then, it doesn't mesh with how I wrote it was able to fit in Moira at least so there's that. 
> 
> Anyways, I enjoyed writing this. I enjoy the talon trio a lot personally. It's always nice to write gen sometime though I'm hoping I can write some femslash again soon, don't know if that'll also be in feburary or not. We'll have to see. 
> 
> Enjoy? Let me know if there's any other tags I should use. Once again I'm writing sleep deprived and rather quickly so they'll probably be errors I miss.

Once, there had been blood pooling at her feet. A price paid for the grueling regime that was required for the delicate looking art of ballet.

Now, there was blood on her hands. A price others decided she should pay for the sole offense of marrying a man she loved.

For a long time, Widowmaker was exact, never straying from mission parameters and doing exactly as she had been rebuilt and reprogrammed to do that. Talon had loosen their leash on her, no longer requiring extra eyes in case she did something undesirable. The irony appealed to her, but Widowmaker never minded an audience, let Talon see what a great asset she had turned out to be. Sniping off petty fools who would never see her coming, who would never be able to stop her.

It was shortly after another assassination that Widowmaker felt something was off. A wetness on her cheeks had formed and she had recalled the forecast gifted to her as part of her assignment. It was clear and sunny but she glanced upwards to check anyways.

Weather could be unpredictable but there was nothing that could explain away the wet marks down her cheeks. There was no way it could be blood with the added shadow of Reaper on her six.

So there Widowmaker stood puzzled, only to then catch Reaper’s shifting presence in front of her to likely assess what the holdup was as they were required back at base.

Reaper had also noticed the strange abnormality. But his silence spoke more than his words ever could, there was a tactical glance over her at the confusion, but then, ever hidden a hint of relief.

Relief at what? She never asked, and he never answered. Widowmaker had mentioned it to a lead scientist behind many of her improvements. It fell off her tongue before she could even think of as an irrelevant fact as if something was moving her mouth for her. What followed was a brief, and intense wash of an invasive feeling. Like her body wasn’t her own, like even her mind wasn’t her own.

The following session, she is anchored by the knowledge it was simply an unwarranted side effect one that they had promised would not happen again as nothing could be allowed to interfere with her sight. Particularly nothing as extraneous as tears.

It is only after a subtle but not so subtle that a sniper’s eyes do not pick up on it that she addressed Reaper.

“You are hovering.” It is not a suggestion, it is an accusation because something has the wraith on edge that seemingly is only alleviate by being at her side.

Widowmaker has been informed of Reaper’s true identity, one Gabriel Reyes, formerly of Overwatch. Talon counts him as an asset however she has strict orders to put him down should it seem his loyalty ever waver back towards Overwatch.

It would be a challenge in and of itself as Reaper is some ways an embodiment of death but enough bullets should cease the problem. She is programmed to shoot until it kills her after all, so regardless of the end, Widowmaker will welcome it because that is what Talon needs of her.

There is no hesitation or even the slightest suggestion that Reaper doesn’t mean his next words. “I’m simply observing for any additional side effects to report in.”

Despite that, somehow she doesn’t believe him entirely. Perhaps it comes from knowing he was in charge of Blackwatch, that he has been doing this for a very long time and has the advantage of experience over her.

Perhaps it comes from a small, screaming part of herself that wants to believe someone thinks Amélie still remains in Widowmaker. However true or not that may be.

Regardless, when she is asked, she doesn’t report in Reaper’s behavior. She has no proof Reaper’s intentions are anything but noble towards Talon so there is nothing to report in.

 

 

 

Sombra is a loudmouth that in many ways, Widowmaker finds grating. She can kill targets sighted alone with her scope from a distance, no matter the noise be it scream of bystanders or sounds of a firefight. However, she does have a preference for silence.

It is in this way, Widowmaker prefers Reaper’s presence. The man is often as silent as the grave itself, letting his actions speak for him. Widowmaker can have a preference for team mates, it doesn’t mean there’s an emotional component behind it. It simply means she can categorize who she works best with for the efficacy of the mission that is all.

Sombra is not all talk, no action as some may be lead to be believe by her playful demeanor and youthful appearance. She can be downright vicious, and often loves to lord over her vanquished enemies as if she is the victor in a game.

Life is a game. Widowmaker can understand that viewpoint, those who are dead are the losers and those who live are the winners.

Simple.

Despite her loudmouth qualities, Sombra does have a keen eye. It’s when Widowmaker doesn’t really feel the broken bone caused by a bad jump as she had to keep moving, no matter the cost or the consequence to herself to eliminate the target she noted the near miniscule change that came from walking on a broken ankle.

“My favorite spider, have you broken one of your limbs?”

The familiarity of a term of endearment baffles Widowmaker for a moment. They have barely worked together, such a thing seems misplaced even if there is something to be said of workplace camaraderie.

“Your knowledge of human anatomy could use some work.”

“Sure, sure. But all the same, let’s get it looked at, yeah?” Sombra pestered, as if this is not something she can keep walking on, it is merely a bone in her ankle. Her pain response were altered for this very purpose so she would not weight down Talon with unnecessary injuries that did not need to be addressed.

The decision is taken out of her hands, when Sombra actually calls it in. For someone who usually has to be reminded to report it, it seems very out of character.

However Widowmaker cannot find fault in Sombra being a more responsive member of team Talon.

Perhaps she is a more worthy team mate than previously thought. There is no harm in reassessing team mates, after all. One must reassess others often to ensure there is no are no untoward qualities sneaking in to weaken Talon.

 

 

 

Time goes on, and with it comes the knowledge that Widowmaker, Reaper and Sombra make quite the trio. It is only natural that Talon starts to assign them all to missions more.

And if Widowmaker enjoys being assigned to these two more often than she is assigned to other members of Talon, then it is only because they work best together. There is no greater meaning. There is nothing that can be wrong about harnessing the greatest strength of a group into a highly trained, versatile trio.

Sombra has the ability to get Reaper to speak more than he does naturally. Widowmaker assumes this is because Sombra is quite like the fly, you have to acknowledge it if only to kill it so it goes away.

But there are moments he seems fond of the interaction, as if he is lingering for something he is missing.

Somehow, Widowmaker finds she relates. There is warmth in these interactions even if she falls aside as a usual silent member, merely looking on as if she is seeing this from a distance rather than being only mere feet away.

She feels included.

Widowmaker isn't made to feel but Amélie… this can be rationalized by it being important to know your place within Talon, to know you are needed by your fellow team mates so you know that the shared goal is worth any means.

There is nothing out of ordinary of these interactions, so there is nothing to report in.

 

 

 

Moira is a brilliant scientist and a credit to Talon. Widowmaker has been informed of them, but the woman is rarely out of a lab and more interested in another branch of science than the one that birthed her. Or perhaps, it’s merely Talon only wants select members on her.

She doesn’t know, and it isn’t her place so she doesn’t ask. There is no reason to ask.

However, there is a sensation in her skin faint and threadbare like her heartbeat that forms around the woman. She is much too like the people responsible for her, an uncomfortable feeling forms at the sight of her along with the rest of the science staff.

These sensations have never been there before.

“Lacroix.” She addressed her with the name she shared with her dead lover that she killed with her own hands. Somehow Widowmaker finds this worst and better than being called Amélie .

“Yes?” She answered, her spine straight and her eyes forward. Ever the picture of obedience and no shadow of anything else swirling around in her broken mind.

“How are you feeling?” It seems like a test, it is a test.

“I am healthy.”

Moira takes a step forward and observes her as she would an experiment. Widowmaker doesn’t break her gaze, or even move, appearing as unemotional as ever.

“Good. Talon needs you.”

“As I need Talon. I will not disappoint.”

 

 

 

Widowmaker often doesn’t start conversations, rather interjects occasionally into them with the air that she could be doing anything else and approach it with the same vigor.

With Gabr- Reaper, they are often in silence of one another, a break from how lively it can get with Sombra. Though those two can sometimes forget she is there in their quest to keep up with their playful banter. Widowmaker doesn’t mind, she fills their conversation a nice background noise, there is something comforting about it like a favorite song.  

“Moira is…” Widowmaker can’t really find the words rather just stares at Reaper in hopes perhaps he can piece together what she is after. He is a smart man, the first to notice any lapses on her part.

And he is also a victim of Moira’s scheme. She is the one person he takes about actively avoiding without seeming like he’s avoiding her. Widowmaker has watched his back enough to know the difference.

“She is.” Reaper finally says, as if this is something that pains him to even speak about. “Like Sombra, she can waste time talking. I find she interferes with the training I require to best keep up my usefulness to Talon.”

There is nothing traitorous spoken about the words but Widowmaker takes the hint for what it is.

“Thank you, Reaper. I would hate to outlive my usefulness.”

Like the words Reaper had spoken hers are nothing traitorous as well. There is nothing to suggest that perhaps she values her life as something more than cannon fodder.

 

 

 

“You have a name.” Widowmaker begins one night when she and Sombra are set on a recon mission.

“It’s Sombra now.” It isn’t something she speaks of, but Widowmaker knows that before there was Sombra, there was another. It’s never something anyone has managed to get an answer out of.

“Can you go back?”

“No.” It’s spoken with much more solemnity that she would have expected from Sombra. Widowmaker is unsure of how to proceed for a moment. “But I like who I am now. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be me?”

“One of the best hackers in the world?”

“Spider, that’s cruel.” Sombra rolled her eyes. “I am the best. You wouldn’t like it if I went around telling people you were one of the best snipers in the world, rather than the best, would you?”

“Who would you even tell?” Widowmaker arched an eyebrow, somewhat curious if Sombra actually had been running her mouth behind her back again.

“Our enemies? Duh.” Sombra shook her head, like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Reaper is over dramatic but we agree it’s fun to scare your enemies before you off them.”

“I suppose psychological warfare has its place.”

Sombra bit back a grimace. “Hey, anyways, have you heard about that new vigilante going around?”  


End file.
